In the piece, writer David Samuels says he posed the question to Obama at a New York City fundraiser. And the president obliged.

“Although I like Kanye…He’s a Chicago guy. Smart. He’s very talented.”

When the president was reminded that he once called West a jackass, he doubled down on his assessment. “He is a jackass,” Obama reportedly said. “But he’s talented.”

Obama originally referred to Kanye as a “jackass” for interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards. West famously rushed the stage and took the mic from Swift to announce that Beyonce should be the rightful winner, not Swift.

During a CNBC interview, Obama was asked about the debacle. He spoke candidly, unaware that the cameras were still rolling.

“The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person, she’s getting her award,” Obama said. “What’s he doing up there? He’s a jackass.”

After the crew broke out in laughter, President Obama tried to pull back his remarks.

“All this stuff, I’m assuming, all this stuff… C’mon guys, cut the president some slack.” [See video below]

The president asked for no such slack this time around. –E. Parker, CBS Local